Daydream View

Google has improved its VR headset. The Google Daydream View (2017) is now made of more robust material and comes with an extra headband for better stability. Also, the angle of the field of view has increased. However, this makes for a bit more weight and a higher price. Our test shows whether the Daydream View is a good purchase.

Google DayDream View: design and wearing comfort

The design has remained almost the same in comparison to the previous year’s model. Again Google uses a soft fabric cover, which gives the VR headset its own look. However, the fabric is now more robust and easier to wipe off.

While the first model had only one rubber band around the head, there is now a second one that runs over the head. All in all, this construction provides a better hold and a more stable fit, it does not slip, but also fits very tightly and tightly on the face. The straps can be comfortably adjusted like a backpack, even if you already wear the headset on your head and want to readjust it.

What has unfortunately not changed is the width of the headset. People wearing glasses will feel this. Due to the tight fit on the head, the headset begins to press strongly on the nose at the eyeglass bar and at the height of the eyeglass temples on the sides.

Even the 2017 model is not completely closed. Light enters the headset from below in the area of the cheekbones and nose. It is also recommended to use the headset in the dark to maintain immersion. Something positive has the opening at the bottom nevertheless: air can circulate a little, you don’t sweat so fast. The soft fabric cover in the face area holds by Velcro to be able to take it off for washing.

Google DayDream View: Setup and compatible smartphones

The smartphone is placed in the headset at the front in front of the lenses and clamps like a sandwich between the bezel and the headset. It is fixed at the top with a short rubber band. The smartphones held stable during our test and are not slipped.

Google worked on the ventilation for the current Daydream View, so the smartphones don’t overheat as quickly. In addition, the manufacturer has improved the lenses and now offers a wider field of view of about 100 degrees.

The Daydream app must be installed on the smartphone. For this, a payment method must be stored in the Google account, even if you only want to download free content. Without this information Daydream will not work. The small, included remote control can be connected very easily to the smartphone via Bluetooth. Then the VR mode is activated in the app and you are ready to go.

Google DayDream View: Remote Control

The scope of delivery includes a small remote control, which simplifies the control as a controller. On this is a circular, clickable field for the touch control as well as two buttons (Back and Home). On the side there are additional buttons for volume control. In the old Daydream View model, the remote control could still be stored in the headset, in the current version this is no longer possible. Google has, however, attached a loop to the headband that holds the controller in place. The remote control is charged via USB type C, the battery lasts for quite a while. We didn’t have to recharge the controller during the entire test.

Overall, the use of the remote feels very good. You can intuitively aim at buttons and select them by clicking on them. And should the focus be lost, the pointer can be quickly moved forward again by holding down a button. The controller is small, but fits well in the hand. You can easily reach and feel all the buttons.

Google DayDream View: Contents

The optical quality of the VR experience depends mainly on the smartphones used. But each VR headset comes with its own portfolio of content. Google’s Daydream View, for example, relies on its in-house platform, which is also called “Daydream”. This allows users to quickly and easily access a lot of content because Google’s other services are linked to it. Via Youtube VR, 360-degree videos can be viewed and, for example, a helicopter flight over a volcano or a roller coaster experience with five-fold looping at the Munich Oktoberfest can be brought into the living room. The immersion is great when you get involved. One really has the feeling of falling down with the roller coaster car. Combined with a little fear of heights, this becomes a violent experience. In addition to Youtube VR, 360-degree content is also available via Netflix VR.

The VR experience on Google Streetview is also interesting. But how exciting the discovery of the world ends depends strongly on the location and the smartphone used. For example, we “visited” Versailles Castle near Paris. Unfortunately, Google didn’t map all the paths in the garden. Too bad, a certain fountain remains out of reach. And to click through the famous hall of mirrors of the castle without seeing its mirror image and the great sunlight with reflections in the crystal chandeliers is rather moderately satisfying. That’s nice for a first glance, but in the end you just sit there with a remote control and click through pictures.

There are also many VR games to discover in the Google Play Store. Especially nice is “Bait”, a fishing game in which the player actually just sits and throws his fishing rod into the water. Then you wait until a fish bites to catch it. These kind of games work very well. Others, which consist of things moving fast, hit the stomach after all.

Google DayDream View: Experiences

The headset is very light and comfortable to wear for a while – at least as long as you don’t wear glasses. Then the time is shorter. Google’s Daydream View looks chic and is very compact. It’s quick to set up. Even when friends are visiting who would like to experience virtual reality, it works almost immediately.

However, you can’t adjust the distance to the lens and thus the sharpness of the image. How good the VR feeling is depends strongly on the smartphone used. We really like the fact that many current Android devices are compatible and can be clamped in one go. No cables, no connections.

Pixel 2 (1080p, 440 ppi): The pixels are large and clearly visible, so the immersion is rather mauane. But head movements are imaged almost without latency. After about 30 minutes, the mobile phone and the front part of the headset feel very warm. Headaches, dizziness and nausea occur quite quickly.

Galaxy S8 Plus (1440p, 530 ppi): The pixels are smaller, but still visible. When using the Daydream app, there were more jerks and the smartphone had to reload content. This caused dizziness even faster. Sometimes rebooting the phone helped.

Daydream View comes in three colors: carbon (black), slate (light gray) and coral (light red). However, availability is still difficult. The carbon model is available occasionally, the other versions in this country are not yet available.

Buy Google DayDream View?

If you would like to have VR glasses for your Android smartphone, the Daydream View is worthwhile for excursions into virtual reality. But only if you don’t have the first Daydream View yet. Compared to the first model there were only minor improvements. At 109 Euros, the Google headset is a bit cheaper than other mobile VR glasses.

Google is already working with partners like Lenovo or HTC Vive on independent VR glasses that work without a smartphone but still have access to the entire Daydream platform. However, it is not yet known exactly when these new glasses will come onto the market.

Daydream View 2017 is a new VR headset for compatible Android smartphones like Google Pixel 2 XL. We tested it to see if the new lenses and a more comfortable design make the trip into virtual worlds even more convincing.

What’s new?

The new Daydream View headset has a removable top strap to make the VR glasses easier to wear. It is now made of a breathable fabric and the included controller can be placed in a loop at the back. In addition, the lenses are now much larger and offer a wider field of vision. Meanwhile, the cushion inside is designed to allow less light into the lens. We have tested what these innovations mean in practice. A new band in the middle of the top serves for a better fixation of the headset on the head.

Setup: child’s play

Setting up the headset is easier than with the Samsung Gear VR (2017). Simply place the smartphone in the Daydream View glasses and close them with a buckle at the top. There is no need to plug the smartphone into a USB port. Then you put the headset upside down and the Daydream app starts automatically. Even the Bluetooth controller is paired automatically after the initial setup. The compatible smartphone, like here a Pixel 2 XL, is simply placed in the headset and held in place with a loop.

More comfortable

The new Daydream View goggles sit more firmly on the head thanks to the upper loop, which is a clear advantage. In fact, the new fabric cover makes you sweat less quickly with the headset on your face. Even quite large glasses fit into the headset, even though users who don’t have to wear a vision aid on their nose certainly have it much better.

In the long run, two glasses on the head make it a little uncomfortable as they press against each other. This will contaminate the normal glasses. Depending on the shape of the face and glasses, this problem does not have to occur, however.

The VR experience has indeed become much better than that of its predecessor. My colleague Patrick was already enthusiastic about the first Daydream View in the TURN-On-Test and while I was convinced by the app and the control, I was bothered by the badly fitting headset, which received a lot of light from below. The problem is more of a background problem with the successor. By the way, we particularly recommend users who find it difficult to play in an unlit room during VR excursions. So I was able to solve the problem with dizziness and nausea, even if VR remains exhausting in the long run for other reasons.

Even with the high-resolution Pixel 2 XL, you can still see the individual pixels in front of you, so in the future only 4K displays will provide a remedy. After all, the field of view is now actually much larger and thus the VR experience appears more immersive. The range of apps has also become much more comprehensive with over 250 applications. Games like “Gunship Battle 2 VR” offer a well implemented control, which allows the exact navigation with a helicopter through a three-dimensional environment. Only the still regularly necessary readjustment of the controller is annoying as before, even if it can’t be done differently without a tracker like with the HTC Vive and the Windows Mixed Reality headsets. Unfortunately, the controller has to be readjusted regularly.

The graphics quality of the more complex games is roughly on PlayStation 2 level. They are also simple and short games that can’t be compared to full-grown console games. The most fun was rather watching the IMAX-3D movies donated by Google. Especially “In the Sea (3D)” delivers a movie experience with a strong 3D effect that I didn’t even know from 3D cinemas. You almost swim around with the fish in a coral reef. The same with a high-resolution image and a VR headset that is adjusted to my eyesight, and VR would have made the breakthrough for me.

Conclusion: Improved entry-level headset

Daydream View is actually noticeably better than its predecessor. The headset fits better, lets in less light, offers a wider field of vision and the fabric is breathable, which prevents sweating. Daydream now offers much more VR apps and is supported by more smartphones.

The new Daydream View surpasses its predecessor

But is the new Daydream View worth 110 Euros compared to its predecessor’s 70 Euros? If you have a compatible smartphone and are interested in VR, we recommend the new Daydream View because of the improvements despite the surcharge.

But those who can alternatively use the current Samsung Gear VR will benefit from an ergonomically superior controller, and the headset can also be adapted to their own eyesight. That’s why Samsung’s competitor is better suited for spectacle wearers. Apart from that, the new Daydream glasses are slightly superior due to the larger field of view, the better functioning Daydream system and the more beautiful design.

VR Porn Setup Guide For Daydream

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Google continues to mix up the VR market with its Daydream View headset. Among the so-called “head-mounted displays” that work with compatible smartphones, it occupies an important position thanks to the included controller and intuitive operation. Find out what you need to know about setting up the VR platform here.

The list of smartphones that can be used in the Daydream View is still quite manageable: Besides Google’s own devices Pixel and Pixel XL, the Moto Z and Z Force, the Huawei Mate 9 Pro, the ZTE Axon 7 and the Asus Zenfone AR are compatible with Daydream. In the future, however, further models are likely to be added. If you own both the headset and one of the devices mentioned, you can get started.

In the first step you should take a closer look at the glasses – they don’t only differ from many other mobile VR headsets in the fabric upholstery.

The biggest advantage is undoubtedly the included controller, which stands out from the crowd first and foremost due to its manageability.

You’ll find it when you loosen the rubber loop on top of the glasses and open the front flap. On the inside of the flap there is a holder from which you can pull out the controller.

The input device has a total of four buttons: the touchpad at the front, the app button above it marked with a “minus” symbol, the home button with a circle and a volume toggle switch on the side of the controller. The operation is largely self-explanatory.

Most often you will use the Toch-Pad in your daily use. To scroll, you simply wipe over the surface, and as soon as you want to click on something, you press on it.

For the VR experience, the controller is also equipped with position and acceleration sensors.

App installation and controller update

You can find the Daydream app for free in the Google Play Store. This application lets you set up your headset, launch apps and find new, exciting VR content. Since the Daydream View has an NFC chip, the app conveniently starts automatically when you insert your smartphone. Even the installation can be initiated in this way.

Your controller may need an update. If this is the case, you will be informed as soon as you have inserted the smartphone – thanks to NFC-Tag. You can see what you need to do on your ad: Just hold down the Home button and follow the instructions step by step.

This is how it works

Once you have inserted the smartphone and closed the lid, you start the desired applications with the controller touchpad and navigate through the menus. Selecting the tabs is very quick, even without practice. The clear and simple design of the Daydream interface also contributes to this. Suggested apps can be found at the top, the most recently opened applications at the bottom and access to the Play Store, the installed apps and the settings at the bottom. If necessary, you can center the controller by holding down the Home button. Once you’ve got used to the controls and found the right content, nothing stands in the way of the VR experience.

Summary

The included controller is located in the front flap of the Daydream View

The Daydream app and its installation starts automatically thanks to the integrated NFC chip as soon as the smartphone is inserted into the headset.